Cement, Plasma & Plutonium: A Solid Night Out

You've heard about how bad aviation and deforestation are, but what about cement? As the second most used resource ever, it accounts for 8% of global CO2 emissions annually. Detailing the trials and tribulations of understanding the chemistry and engineering of low-carbon cement, this talk will allow you to get hands on with laboratory samples and will cover why concrete change is urgently needed in the industry, and explain why the future of our favourite mundane material is bright.

Forget lightsabres and warp drives – plasma is much more than just a staple of science fiction! It is the fourth state of matter with immense potential in healthcare. This talk introduces the latest innovative research into the applications of plasma technology, highlighting its diverse uses, from sterilising medical equipment and accelerating wound healing to even targeting cancer cells. Explore the future of this exciting field and how it is poised to potentially revolutionise modern medicine.

The UK government has recently (Jan 2025) made the decision to dispose of 140 tonnes of plutonium alongside its other radioactive waste, deep underground. This involves converting the plutonium into a rock-like form to improve its durability as the radioactive elements decay away over millennia. Are these materials up for the challenges and time scales needed? This talk will discuss the impacts of radiation and how we determine if these materials will truly weather the long-term disposal of hazardous wastes.